Making the implicit explicit

Philosophy and explication

Introduction

Philosophy and explication are irrevocably intertwined.

As Tillman explains (1965, p. 375):

“The business of philosophical analysis is clarification, but explicators and ordinary language analysts disagree on how to achieve it. Their dis-agreement is made the more prominent by various attempts to clarify similar concepts, such as truth and meaning, and by the attempt to resolve common problems”. (italics added).

Thus philosophical issues lie at the heart of the explication process per se, inform the ways that we claim new explicit knowledge, and help to define the criteria that third parties – people who are potential advocates and users – judge the value, robustness and “truth” of the Explication outcomes.

Further, for those who choose to use explication as a way of enhancing their personal development, the opportunity to make a serious contribution to knowledge is the ultimate goal; a goal which is philosophically charged and filled with the potential promise of contributing to one’s own welfare and to the benefit of others.